Tony Abbott won't rule out changes to seniors health card eligibility

National political reporter

"The stress that I want to keep on everything is we will keep our commitments." Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reaffirmed the Coalition's commitment to increasing the income threshold for the seniors health card, but will not be drawn on other changes to the card's eligibility criteria that are reportedly before the federal government.

The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card provides discounts on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines, GP visits, other medical expenses and an $858 yearly payment. Single seniors at present need a taxable income of less than $50,000 to qualify for the card.

The Audit Commission's interim report, delivered last month, has questioned the fact that superannuation income is considered tax-free, according to a News Corp report on Sunday.

There is also no assets test for the card.

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In Adelaide on Sunday, Mr Abbott would not be drawn on the commission's first report, saying only that it would be released ''at the right time, not the wrong time''.

''The stress that I want to keep on everything is we will keep our commitments,'' he said.

As part of its 2013 election package, the Coalition pledged to index the income threshold for the card to the consumer price index, ''[to] allow more retirees access to the CSHC and reduce the fear of losing the card''.

Labor seized on the reports about potential changes to the card, saying the Coalition should release the commission report before the South Australian and Tasmanian elections on March 15 and the West Australian Senate election on April 5.

''It is not appropriate that Tony Abbott and his team have 900 pages of nasty surprises for seniors,'' Mr Shorten said in Melbourne. He said he was alarmed that the government had the conditions of ''self-funded retirees squarely in their sights''.

''I know that self-funded retirees have worked hard all their lives. They don't get a lot back from the government.''

National Seniors Australia chief executive Michael O'Neill also called on the Coalition to release the report, so proposals could be understood within a broader context. ''Already there's quite significant anxiety among older Australians about where this debate is headed,'' he said.

Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton also called for the report's release.

''The whole thing should be released so people can assist the government in making appropriate decisions,'' he said.

A spokeswoman for Treasurer Joe Hockey said the government was considering the report's ''confidential'' recommendations.